Obit -- Imelda Marie (Holler) McDonnell

She was born and raised in
Tonawanda by her parents, Wilbert and Bertha Holler, along with her nine
brothers and sisters. She married Robert C. McDonnell in 1949 and they
lived in the Town of Tonawanda, where they had eight children.

In 1961, the McDonnell
family moved to Grand Island. Imelda, who was known as Melly, and her
husband, Bob, were active in Little League for several years when the McDonnell
boys were young. They continued to attend football and baseball games at
Grand Island High School during the 1970s. She even attended a game or two this
past summer to watch her boys play in the Grand Island Recreational Softball
League.

McDonnell was a
stay-at-home mom while her children were young. After all her children were in
school, she started to work part time outside the home at Rich Products and
Niagara Construction, a construction company owned by her brother, Jack Holler.

McDonnell enjoyed playing
golf for several years in the women's golf leagues at River Oaks and Beaver
Island. She also enjoyed playing bridge in several bridge clubs.

In 1976, she and her
husband sold their house and packed up and moved to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. They
had enough of the Buffalo winters. But after a year and a half of Florida, they
decided that there was no place like home and moved back to Grand Island. They
bought another house on Grand Island and continued to live the rest of their
lives there. They still spent winters in Florida, but came back to the Island
for the remainder of the year. Even today, seven of their eight children live
on Grand Island.

Bob died in October 1989.
She then bought a townhouse and lived on the River Oaks golf course. She still
enjoyed her golfing and playing bridge with many friends.